Ball-game apparatus



W. G. JACKSON.

BALL GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15. 19 0.

1,394,308. Patented Oct. 18, 1921..

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

ATTORNEYS W. G. JACKSON.

BALL GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 1920.

1,394,308 Patented 001;; 18, 1921.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES INVENTOR W. G. JACKSON.

BALL GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION men JUNE 15, 1920.

1,394,308. Patented 001;. 18, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT orr cn.

WILLIAM G. JACKSON, OF POMPTON LAKES, NEW JERSEY.

BALL-GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

Application filed June 15, 1920. Serial No. 389,190.

new and Improved Ball-Game Apparatus,

of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to an apparatus for playing games by the use of balls to be thrown at targets for the scoring of points, and more particularly relates to an apparatus of the indicated character adapted to variously display signals in accordance with the hits made. i

The nature of the invention, its d1st1nguishing features and characteristics can be best understood in connection with a description of practical embodiments thereof as hereinafter given.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawlngs forming a part of thls speclfication, it being understood that the drawings are merely illustrative of practical examples of the invention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention, part of the ball-receiving means being in section Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the appa ratus;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical section;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal vertical section of one of the circuit closers andresetting means employed;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a second circuit closing means;

Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section of the coin-controlled means for delivering a ball to a player in throwing;

7 is a longitudinal vertical section of the devices shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view of circuits that may be employed;

Fig. 9 is a detail in longitudinal vertical section given to show features of the second circuit-closing.means, the view being approximately on the irregular line 9-9 of Fig. 3;

- Fig. 10 is a fragmentary front view on a reduced scale given to show a. modified arrangement of the ball-conducting means;

11 is a fragmentary end view of said modified means.

In carrying out my invention in practice, a suitable frame structure 10 is provided, here indicated as supported on legs 11 and having a superstructure 12, the open front of which is provided with targets 13 upright 1n their normal positions and-yieldably supported preferably by hinging the same at their lower ends as at 13 to the bottom of the structure 12 so that they may swing inwardly in response to the blow of a ball. Each target has a hole 14 through which a ball may pass, and means hereinafter described is provided for signaling when a ball passes through an opening 14 or when the target 18 is swunginwardly by impact -of a ball. The signals are preferably visual ones, and arranged to be illuminated that they may be visible at night, and advantageously the signals include pairs of lamps 15. In practice, the lamps 15 may represent the eyesof a head A represented on the tar get, while the opening 14 represents the mouth of the head. At the rear portion of the structure 12 between the back 16 and vertical partitions 16*, a chamber 17 is provided to accommodate conductor cables and branches and affording access thereto as hereinafter described.

In order that a ball passing into the structure 12, through an opening 14 may close the circuit and illuminate the lamps 15 pertaining to a particular target 13, I provide within the structure 12, near the bottom, at the back of each target 13, a tilting tray 18 for receiving the ball, said tray being rockably supported at the approximate center as at 19 and normally inclining slightly rearwardly toward an outlet opening 20 provided at the bottom of the partition 16 for the escape of a ball, so that the ball may drop to a hopper 21 extending beneath the several targets and trays of the superstructure 12 as shown in Figs. 1 to 4. Or, I provide for the balls escaping through each of the outlets 20, a trough 21 beneath the sev eral outlets and leading to a common chute 21 as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, and hereinafter further referred to. A ball dropping onto a tray 18 will tend to roll rearwardly thereon toward the opening 20 and in doing so will tilt the tray and close a circuit through the medium of any suitable means, there being indicated spaced terminals22 fixed on the structure 12 adjacent to a side of each tray 18 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and having offset ends adapted to be bridged by a switch contact 23 on the tray 18 to thereby close a circuit through a pair of lamps 15 pertaining to the particul shown as supported. byrauxiliary legs 11% lar target through which the ball has passed.

Upon a ball striking the target'13 and causin the same to move rearwardl on its hinges 14 to an inclined position 'as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 3, the ball will gravitate to the hopperfi21. Said hopper in the preferred form of the invention has a single depending outlet 24 extending through a fixed horizontal frame member here A circuit closing wheel 25 is provided heneath the'hopper'21, here shown as turning on a shaft 26'supported by the legs 11*; The wheel 25 extends into the path of the balls passing gravitationally from hopper in opposite directions as seen in Fig. 5 and.

they are. adapted to each be engaged by'contact fingers 30 disposed above said wheel. and approximately tangential thereto so that" thefingers-terminate adjacent toxthe periphcry of the wheel, the contact elements 29 being of a size-to bridge two contact fingers. 30. The fingers are normally maintalned outof contact with the ribs 18 by a'lifting arm 31 extending transversely beneath the several fingers, said arm being rigid with a lever 32 fulcrumed on a pin 33 supported in hangers 83 on the under sideof the frame member 10*, the fingers being adapted to be.

depressed by a spring 37 between said fingers and the frame element 10 the spring in the illustrated example being positioned in front ofthe fulcrum 33 and therefore belng a compression spring. The lever 32 1s normally maintained in position with its arm 31 sustalning the fingers 30 out of engagement 'wlth the contact elements 29 on wheel 25,

this being efl'ected through the medium of a controlling element 34 pivoted at its center on the shaft 26 of said wheel, one arm of said element having a lateralterminal 35 adapted to be engaged by the upturned or hooked lower end 36 of lever 32. The opposite arm of said lever extends beyond the wheel 25 at the diametrically oppositeside from the lever 32 and has a lateral terminal 34 lying in the path of the ball gravitating. I

from the outletv24 so that the falling ball will depress the adjacent arm of the controlling. element 34, thereby raising the opposite arm and disengagingthe termlnal 35 from the hook 36, thus freeing the lever 32 from the control of said element. A sprin 38 normally tends to rock the lever 32 to the dotted line position indicated in Fig.3, thus withdrawing the arm 31 from. beneath the contact fingers 30 and permittingthe spring 37 to throw said fingers into engagement with the-periphery of the wheel 25. The

to to be intermittently closed through the fingers 30' andthus causing the lamps 15 to flicker until finally the wheel comes to rest with onepair of fingers 3O bridged by a contact element 29 and leaving the circuit of a pair of lamps 15 closed. In front of the wheel 25 is a resilient wall member 39 which yields to the falling ball permitting the ball to 'clear'the terminal 34 of the controlling element 34. In the illustrated arrangement the ball drops to an upright mouth 40- supported at one end of a ball runv 41 leading to a coin-controlled ball delivery means designatedgenerally by the numeral 42 and hereinafter described in? detail.

Manually operable resetting means is provided for the several trays 18 and forthe lever 32 and element 34; The resetting means for the t 'ays 18 in the illustrated exampleis as follows: An arm 42 is provided beneath each tray andmounted to rock on a pin or shaft 43 and provided with an operating arm 44, the several operating arms 44 I being connected by a cord or equivalent connecting means 45, a cord being preferably employed and passing outwardly through an end of the structure 12 and extending in practice to any point within convenient reach of the attendant in charge of the apparatus. Normally, the arms 42 arein inclined positions out of engagement with the respective trays 18 to permit the trays to tilt under the weight of a ball falling thereon and passing to the outlet 20. JA pull on the cord 45 will swing the arms 44 and rockthe arms 42 upwardly into engagement with the trays 18 restoring them to their normal positions.

The resetting means for, the lever 32 and yoke 34 is as follows: 'Saidlever 32 is fulcrumedbetween its ends and connected with the shorter arm is one end of a link 36. the opposite end of which is connected with one arm of a vertical lever 47 fulcrumed as at 48 on a fixed bracket 48* on the structure. On the other arm of the lever 47 is secured one end of a cord 49, the opposite-end of which is secured to an arm 50 on a rock shaft 51 turning in the superstruoture 12 at the back of the several tar- 49 acts through the lever 47 and link 46 to throw the lever 32 to a position to cause its hook 36 to engage the controlling element 34, said element normally tending to rock to a position to be engaged by said hook. A block or other suitable stop 54 within the structure 12 at the backof each target 13 limits the inward movement of the target.

Any suitable arrangement of circuit wires may be arranged, there being indicated concluctor wires running from the terminals 22 to a cable 56 sustained on the partition 16 in the chamber 17 and from said cable branch conductors .57 extend, including conductor wires 58 to the lamps 15, therebeing a branch conductor 59 running from cable 56 including conductor wires suitably connecting with a battery and with a con-3 ductor cable 61 carrying several wires the contact elements 30.

In the form shown in escaping from the trays 18 and outlet 20 drop to the chute 21 and therefore in addition to closing the circuit through the terminals 22 and contact 23, the same ball will again close the circuit by a turning of the wheel 25 but the closing of the circuit of the wheel 25 following'the closure at the terminals 22 will not be significant in the game, the signals being distinguished bythe flickering of the signals. With the separate trough 21? and chute 21 for the balls escaping from the outlets 20, the balls will be delivered to the runway 41 from the chute 21 independently of the hopper 21 and its outlet 24 and therefore will not result in a second signal.

In connection with the described apparatus, a coin-controlled means for delivering balls from the runway 41 is provided as follows: Said runway is part of a structure 63 having a tray or trough 64 accessible for the removal of a ball arriving thereat. A coin chute 65 is in the form of a lever fulcrumed between its ends, said coin chute extending through the top of the structure 63, 66 indicating the fulcrum of said chute at the top of said structure 63. The coin chute extends downwardly into a compartment 63 at a side of the runway 41. In Fig. 7 that side 41 of the runway 41 adjacent to compartment 63 is partly broken away in order that the view may show the associated parts in both the said runway and compartment. A trip 67 is provided in front of the lower Figs. 1 a 4. the balls end of the coin chute 65, said trip being in the form of an arm on a shaft 68 extending transversely beneath the compartment 63 and runway 41 and it projects upwardly through a slot 69 in thebottom of said compartment. The lower end of the chute has a cut-out 0 so that the chute may be freely rocked without engaging the trip 67 the cut-out 70 permitting the chute to clear the trip. If, however, a coin B be dropped into a chute 65 torest on the bottom ofthe compartment 63 and upon a rocking of the chute, the coin will engage the trip 67 thereby rocking the shaft 68. As the coin rides past the trip' 67 it will reach a slot 71 in the bottom of compartment 63 and drop to a box 72 therebeneath. on the shaft 68 at the runway 41 a second arm 73 is provided on said shaft and is adapted to project into said runway by the rocking of shaft 68. On the shaft 68 also, is another arm 74 at approximately 90? to the arm 73 and in the same plane. The arm 74 normally lies in front of the foremost ball in the runway 41 and as the coin chute engages the trip 67 and rocks the shaft 68 forwardly, the arm 74 will rock downwardly away from the path of the foremost ball and the rear arm 73 will move upwardly in front of the next succeeding ball. The chute is adapted to be restored to its normal position in the rear of the trip 67 after the escape of a coin by a spring 75 secured to said chute near the lower end and to a screw eye 76 or other fixed part of the structure. In the runway 41 above the path of the balls is a shaft 77 which extends also into the compartment 63 on which shaft is a curved escapement 7 8, the front arm of which is normally in the path of movement of the next following ball so that as the foremost ball rolls forwardly, it will engage the front arm of the escape- ,ment 78. thereby causing the rear arm with roller 79 to rock downwardly and interpose itself into the path of the next ball. On the shaft 77 in the compartment 63 is an arm 80 extending laterally behind the chute 65, said arm following the forward move ment of. the chute under the rocking of the shaft 77 by the gravitational movement of therear arm of the escapement 78 so that upon the fostering of the chute to the rearward position by the springs 7 5, said chute will engage the arm 80 and thereby rock the shaft 77 and raise the rear arm of the es capement 78 to a position to permit the next ball to arrive beneath the escapement, the chute and the escapement finally settling to the normal positions when the chute is released by the operator. A. shaft 81 extends transversely across the runway 41 and partition 63 in front. of the chute 65 and on said shaft 81 in the compartment 63 is an arm 82 lying; in front of the chute to be en gaged by the latter in the forward movement. On the shaft 81 in the runway a1 is a; depending arm 83 lying in front of the path of movement of the balls. In order to main-' tain the shaft 81 in position and arms 82 and 83 in their normal positions, a third arm,

84 is provided on said shaft and a plate spring 85extends through an eye 86 in the lower end ofthe arm 84; tending to main tain' the shaft 81 in the normal position. 3 The arm83holds the ball after passingoversaid stop arm 74 but the ball is released by engagement of the chute 6.5 with the arm 82,

vthereby rocking the shaft. 81. At the same I time the spring 85 is stressed to restore the shaft 81 afterithe reverse movement of the chute 65. The sha'ft'68is restored with the restoration of the chute 65 through the medium of a spring 87 secured at one end to a'tixed part of the structure63 and at its other end to an arm 88 on said shaft 68.

t I would state in conclusion that while the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself strictly to the mechanical details herein illustrated, since manifestly the same can be considerably varied without departure from the spirit of the inventionas defined inthe appended claims.

Havingihus described my invention, I claim:

1. An apparatus of the class described,

including a, supporting structure, a target" supported thereon, said target affordingan opening through which a thrown ball may pass and being movably mounted to yield inwardly to the impact of a thrown ball, and signal means subject to a ball passing into the structure through said opening and subject also to a ball gravitationally moving away from the target after a yielding of the latter.

2. An apparatus of the class described, including a supporting structure, a target supported thereon, said target being yieldable rearwardly tothe impact of a thrown ball and having a hole therein, through which ball may pass to the back of the target, a receiver below the target, means to conduct balls to said receiver after pass ing through said opening or gravitate from the face of the. target upon the latter yielding, a signal, and means to cause a display .of. said signal, said last-mentioned means being subject to the passage ofa ball to said receiver after passing through said openlng or passing tolthe receiver from the face of the target.

3.-An apparatus of the class described,

including a supporting structure, a target on said structure, a hopper on said structure beneath the target to which hopper a thrown ball may gravitationally descend from the target, a wheel projecting into the path of movement of a descendingball and adapted to be engaged and turnedby the latter, and

placed.

distributed about said, wheel, and co-acting signal means subject to the turning of said wheel; together with a hinged element between which and the wheel the ball may pass, and a chute. through which the ball may passwhen said hinged element is dis- 4. In an apparatus of the class described, includingv a supporting structure, a plurality of targets on said structure, a hopper to which thrownballs may gravitationally descend from the targets, awheel positioned to be engaged and turned by a descending ball, signals associated with the respective targets, signal-controlling elements variously elements adapted toengage the elements on the wheel and coii'perate therewith to display the respective signals.

5; In an apparatus of the class described,

including a supporting structure, a plurality of targets on said structure, a hopper to which thrown balls may gravitationally descend from the targets, a wheel positioned to be engaged and turned by adescending ball, signals associated with the respective targets,.. signal-controlling elements variously distributed about said wheel, and coacting: elements adapted, to, engage the elements on thewheel and, cooperate therewith to display the respective signals; together with controlling means for the secondmentioned elements normally maintaining the latter out ofengagement with those on the wheel, and subject to a descending ball for releasing said second-mentioned elements .and permitting themto engage the wheel,

the turning of the wheel for alternately making and breaking the circuit.

7. An apparatus of the class described, includinga target swingably mounted to yield rearwardly to the impact of a thrown ball, rockably mounted. means operable to engage said target for restoring it after rearward swinging movement thereof, a signal, means to conduct a received ball away from the region of the target, signal-con trolling means adapted to cause display of the signal, said controlling means being subject to a ball passing through said conductormeans, and resettingmeans for said controlling means, said resetting means'being constrained to function by a target-restoring movement of said rockable means.

8. An apparatus of the class described including a target affording an opening through which a thrown ball may pass, a tiltable tray in the rear of the target and positioned to receive a ball passing through said opening, the tilting of the tray by the Weight of the ball permitting the latter to roll from the tray, and signal means subject to a tilting of the tray by the ball, said signal means including an electric lamp associated With the target, an electric circuit including said lamp, and coacting circuit-closing elements on said tray and in fixed position adjacent to the tray.

9. An apparatus of the class described, including a series of targets, means to conduct received balls away from the region of the targets, electric lamps associated with respective targets, an electric circuit in which said lamps are included, and circuit-closing means subject to a ball passing through said conductor means and adapted to control the illumination of the various lamps.

10. An apparatus of the class described, including a target having an opening, said target being swingably mounted and yieldable to the impact of a thrown ball, electric lamps carried by the target in the rear of said opening, means to conduct a received ball away from the region of the target, an electric circuit in which said lamps are included, and circuit-closing means subject to the passage of a ball through said conducting means.

WILLIAM G. JACKSON. 

